


Onwards

by teeandrainbows



Series: What Comes Next [1]
Category: The 100 (TV)
Genre: Finale Reaction fic, Fluff, Gen, Happy Ending, Missing Scenes, Reunions, Spacekru feels, spoilers for the finale
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-01
Updated: 2020-10-01
Packaged: 2021-03-07 21:15:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,033
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26744254
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/teeandrainbows/pseuds/teeandrainbows
Summary: Echo makes the ultimate choice:  does she fully transcend or does she take a chance to live out the rest of her days with the ones she loves the most?A series finale reaction fic that contains spoilers for the final episode of season 7.
Relationships: Echo & Emori (the 100), Echo & John Murphy (The 100), Echo & Octavia Blake (The 100), Echo & Raven Reyes, Echo & Spacekru (The 100)
Series: What Comes Next [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2089371
Comments: 3
Kudos: 31





	Onwards

**Author's Note:**

> HERE THERE BE SPOILERS FOR THE SERIES FINALE! YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED.
> 
> I just wanted to write about the Space Sisters (+Murphy) reuniting and Octavia and Echo having an understanding and also try to fumble my way through whatever /that/ was in the finale lmao. Take my interpretation of JRoth's sci-fi ending with a grain of salt! Also I wrote this in an hour.

She feels  _ cold _ . Absently, Echo can hear the gunshots and screaming and she even thinks she can hear Octavia’s voice, but not much else. All she can focus on is the cold and the pain radiating from her side.

This couldn’t be it. This couldn’t be how she died. Not like this. After everything she had been through, she couldn’t imagine herself dying like this.

At least she knows she saved Octavia. Bellamy’s sister. She couldn’t save him, but she could save her. A pained chuckle escapes her, drawing Hope’s attention. If only she could go back and tell her past self that she would eventually save Octavia’s life.

Just as quickly, Octavia’s voice is closer again, but only for a split second before everything goes black.  _ Ai gonplei ste odon _ is her last thought before nothing.

And then something.

A warm presence envelopes her, pulling her away from the dark and the cold. She hears a voice, a single voice cutting through the darkness. It isn’t Octavia.

“Ash.”

Echo blinks the last of the darkness away and as her vision focuses, she lets out a small gasp.

“Mother?” she breathes, reaching out with a shaking hand. It’s been so long, but her mother looks exactly the same as she had the day she had died. Her vision goes blurry again with tears that suddenly well in her eyes.

Her mother spreads her arms wide. “You have transcended. Welcome.”

The cadence of her voice is all wrong. Despite the many years, Echo realizes it isn’t her mother. It couldn’t be. She swipes the tears away and glances around.

“Where am I?” she asks. The sky is purple and she’s standing on some sort of wooden structure. All around her are bright lights hanging as if from invisible thread.

“You have transcended,” the being wearing her mother’s face repeats. “We are greeting you with the image of the one you love most, to ease the transition.”

The one she loves most? Echo frowns, confused. “But--”

“We considered Bellamy Blake, yes. However, we decided that your mother would be more comforting.”

Her brow furrows as she takes it all in. “Wait. We?”

“We are the collective consciousness,” the being explains. “You, along with the rest of the human race, have transcended to join us.”

“Everyone?” she asks, curious.

“Any human who was alive at the moment of transcendence.”

Echo looks around again, crossing her arms in front of her. For the first time, she realizes her side doesn’t hurt anymore. Her hand flexes towards the spot where she had been shot, and the being nods.

“Transcendence heals all except death.”

She nods. “Right.” So Bellamy isn’t there. Echo swallows a lump in her throat. “So, where is everyone, then?”

The being smiles. “Do you see the lights?”

Echo nods, her eyes darting around.

“Each light is one of your people, being welcomed. If you listen carefully, you will hear them. We are all one collective mind, here.”

Absently, Echo finds herself thinking about the City of Light. She can’t help but note the similarities. Even still, she stands still, focusing. Suddenly, she can hear hundreds of conversations, but can’t focus on any one of them, individually.

“So, what now?”

The being clasps her hands in front of her. “Now, Ash, you have a choice. You can remain here, or return to the physical plane.”

Echo blinks. “Why would I return?”

“We cannot see each other, not in our physical bodies. All of your people are being given this same choice. Those of you who choose to return to the physical plane will live out the rest of your lives together. But beware. You will not be able to transcend a second time, and you will not be able to bear children.” The being spoke as if it was a practiced speech, spreading her arms wide again. “However, your injuries will remain healed.”

Echo stands still, considering it. Now that she’s aware of the conversations going on around her, she can hear a constant murmuring. One light above the being’s shoulder shines brighter than the rest for a split second, and she hears Raven’s voice louder than the rest, although she can’t make out what her sister is saying.

“How will I know if anyone else is going back?” she asks, narrowing her eyes.

“Have faith,” the being says, simply.

Echo closes her eyes, trying to listen to the other conversations closely. Trying to hear if anyone is making the choice to go back. At the same time, a thought comes creeping up - does she really want to spend the rest of eternity as a light in her friends’ periphery? As murmurs?

“I want to go back,” she says, finally.

The being offers her a soft smile, then turns away from her. When it turns back, Echo chokes back a sob.

Bellamy’s face is looking at her with the soft tenderness she had grown to love on the Ring. “We respect your decision,” the being says in Bellamy’s voice, stepping towards her. “Be well.”

Echo steps forward, meeting the being halfway, reaching up and brushing her fingers across Bellamy’s face. “Thank you,” she breathes before turning away. A bright light envelops her, nearly blinding her, and then she’s lying on the forest ground, alone.

She lifts herself on her elbows, looking around. She’s on Bardo, that much is clear. She has returned to the exact same spot as she was before transcending, and true to the being’s word, her side no longer burns. Slowly, Echo pushes herself to her feet, looking around. Through a break in the trees, she can see the field where the Disciples and Wonkru had been fighting. The field is darted with glowing trees, and she figures it’s one tree for every person who transcended.

With that thought, she glances around her immediate surroundings. No glowing trees. Hope, Jordan, Levitt, and Octavia had been around her, and yet…

“Echo!”

She turns, smiling. “I never thought I would be so happy to hear your voice,” she says just as Hope throws her arms around her.

“Everyone’s by the Gate,” Hope breathes, smiling as she steps back. “We were hoping you would decide to come back.”

Echo nods, letting Hope lead her through the field, to the Gate where a small group of people are standing. Her eyes immediately go to Octavia, standing off to the side, clasping Levitt’s hand. Bellamy’s sister meets her gaze and immediately bounds forward, throwing her arms around Echo.

“I’m so glad you’re here,” Octavia murmurs into her ear.

Echo smiles softly. “You did it,” she says, stepping back. “I heard you. You stopped the fighting.”

“Yeah, I guess I did,” Octavia replies, glancing around at the small, ragtag group.

“So, where are we going now?” Indra asks, stepping forward and regarding Octavia with a long gaze.

Octavia glances at Echo, then at Levitt, then Jordan, Hope, Gaia, and Niylah.

“Sanctum,” she says, finally. “We need to see if Miller, Jackson, Murphy, and Emori made it.”

A murmur of agreement passes, and Echo hesitates.

“We’ll leave a message for Raven if she comes back,” Octavia adds quickly.

“And Clarke,” Gaia adds.

“Right,” Echo replies, taking one last look around the field. She wishes they had never come to Bardo. Then, Bellamy would still be alive. Then she catches Octavia’s eye again, and lets out a breath.

Jordan fiddles with the Gate, and they pass through to Sanctum. Echo hangs back, away from the group while they make small talk. Hope asks who everyone saw, and Jordan is the first to answer.

“I saw my mom,” he said, tugging at the skin on his elbow in a way that reminds Echo of Harper. Niylah chimes in with her father, but Gaia and Indra stay silent.

Octavia lets out a breath. “Lincoln,” she says, quietly, almost inaudible. All eyes turn to Echo.

“Bellamy,” she says, quickly. Technically, it isn’t a lie, and it’s the expected answer so everyone leaves her alone.

After that, they continue walking through Sanctum. Echo hears the footsteps first and holds up her hand. Around a corner comes Miller, followed by Jackson. The reunion is sweet, but Echo can’t help but ask.

“What about Murphy and Emori? They didn’t come back?”

“You didn’t think you could get rid of me that easily, did you?” The drawling voice rings out behind her and Echo turns on the spot. Murphy is standing there, his weight on one leg, arms folded in front of him.

Echo launches herself forward, grabbing him by the shoulders and pulling him into a fierce hug. Behind her, she hears Miller saying they split up to look for any survivors, but she doesn’t listen.

A different voice makes her freeze, though, her arms still clutching at Murphy.

“Of course, that was after Jackson had to take my mind chip out of his head and put it back in my body.”

Echo pulls away in disbelief, leaving Murphy rubbing his arms, and meets Emori halfway in an even tighter hug. Tears prick at the corners of her eyes as she holds her sister, and this time it’s Jackson’s voice she hears absently behind her, explaining what had happened.

Emori pulls back. “Raven?” she asks.

Echo shakes her head. “We left a message for her, if she decides to come back.”

Emori nods, falling silent.

With their small group now a bit larger, they continue wandering through Sanctum. Eventually, they find themselves at the lake. Echo learns the story of what had happened to Murphy and Emori, and her eyes grow wide. She glances between them, her gaze finally landing on Murphy.

“You’re an idiot, you know?” she says.

Murphy’s response is to raise his eyebrows. “And your point?”

Emori chuckles. “He’s my idiot,” she says, leaning into him. Echo smiles, then goes to sit on a log.

After what seems like an hour or two, Echo grows tired of the idle chitchat and rises to her feet, citing the need to find wood for a fire. Octavia joins her.

“You didn’t even hesitate back there. You jumped right into gunfire… to protect me?” she asks.

Echo shrugs. “You’re Bellamy’s sister. I couldn’t save him, but I could save you.”

A small chuckle escapes the shorter girl. “We’ve come a long way from the cliff.”

“We certainly have,” Echo replies.

When they return with firewood, everyone is standing in a cluster, talking excitedly. Echo squints.

“I wonder what’s going on,” she murmurs. Octavia shrugs. Just then, the small crowd opens and Echo sees exactly what the excitement was about. Her armful of wood clatters to the ground as she takes off at a full sprint.

Raven meets her halfway, throwing her arms around her and clinging to her tightly. Echo turns her face into Raven’s shoulder, trying to hide the tears that threaten to spill.

“We did it,” Raven whispers, not letting go. Echo doesn’t mind. She would gladly remain like this with Raven for an eternity.

“Never scare me like that again,” she breathes, feeling another presence beside them. Lifting her head, she sees Emori standing there. She and Raven both welcome her into the embrace. Soon Murphy joins them. Echo hugs the three remaining members of her family as if it’s the last thing she’ll ever do and she doesn’t even mind that people are watching them.

“Does it feel weird at all?” Raven asks, once the four of them pull apart. “Being back, I mean. It feels like we went backwards or something.”

“Not really,” Murphy replies. “I knew from the moment he said I’d never see any of you again that there was no way in hell I was staying there.”

“It’s not really going backwards,” Emori chimes in, glancing at the small group of people around them. “It’s onwards.”

“We get to forge our own path,” Echo adds, smiling.

Raven laughs, tucking her arm around Echo’s waist while Murphy grabs Emori’s hand. The four turn back to the group and Echo grins as Octavia steps forward.

“So, what do we do now?” Murphy asks.

Octavia makes eye contact with Echo and smirks. “My brother said it best. Whatever the hell we want.”

**Author's Note:**

> Comments and Kudos make my day!


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